Cryptosporidium infection in patients with gastroenteritis in Sari, Iran

Background: Cryptosporidiosis is a common coccidian parasite infection in patients with diarrhea that has worldwide distribution especially in developed countries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of Cryptosporidium infection in patients with gastroenteritis admitted to hospitals of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences by parasitological and molecular methods in Sari, Iran. Methods: Stool samples were collected from 348 patients with gastroenteritis admitted to the hospitals of Medical University in the Sari and Ghaemshahr cities in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran in 2010-2011. Oocysts of Cryptosporidium identified using Formalin-Ether concentration method and stained by Aacidfast staining (AFS) and Auramine phenol fluorescence (APF). Genomic DAN extracted from microscopically positive samples and nested PCR -RFLP by using SSU rRNA that identifies of the species of cryptosporidium. Results: In 348 patients with gastroenteritis, the most clinical symptoms were diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, fever and weight loss. 2.3% (8 cases) of diarrheal samples tested by both microscopy and molecular methods were positive for the presence of cryptosporidium. Nested PCR products yielded unique bands of 846 bp, correspond to cryptosporidium. Species diagnosis carried out by digesting the secondary PCR product with SspI restriction enzyme, which noted 3 clearly bands of 449, 254, and 108 bp correspond to Cryptosporidium spp. Conclusion: The results of present study on Cryptosporidium spp. in this area can make a background data for control programs and further molecular analyses. Thus, further work needs to determine the origin of Cryptosporidium species in this area

An improved microculture method for diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis

This study evaluated the performance of three diagnostic methods for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Patients who came to the Health Center Laboratory of Gonbad-e-Qabus in Golestan Province, Iran, were enrolled in the study. Skin scraping smear, improved microculture (IMC) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed. A total of 303 subjects were recruited, among whom 273 subjects fulfilled the criteria for CL. Sensitivity and specificity were 88.8 % (95 % CI = 84.2–92.2 %) and 100.0 % for smears, 98.4 % (95 % CI = 96.1–99.1 %) and 100.0 % for IMC, both of them 100.0 % for PCR. Although, PCR was relatively more sensitive than the IMC, the high correlation (agreement = 96 %, Kappa = 0.82) between IMC and PCR along with the advantages of simplicity, rapidity, adequate sensitivity and as a needle free method, offers the IMC as a valuable alternative diagnostic method for PCR in diagnosis of CL. © Indian Society for Parasitology 2013

Modeling the time-dependent characteristics of perovskite solar cells

We proposed two different time-dependent modeling approaches for variation of device characteristics of perovskite solar cells under stress conditions. The first approach follows Sah-Noyce-Shockley (SNS) model based on Shockley–Read–Hall recombination/generation across the depletion width of pn junction and the second approach is based on thermionic emission model for Schottky diodes. The connecting point of these approaches to time variation is the time-dependent defect generation in depletion width (W) of the junction. We have fitted the two models with experimental data reported in the literature to perovskite solar cell and found out that each model has a superior explanation for degradation of device metrics e.g. current density and efficiency by time under stress conditions. Nevertheless, the Sah-Noyce-Shockley model is more reliable than thermionic emission at least for solar cells

Understanding the Influence of Trenbolone Acetate and Polyamines on Proliferation of Bovine Satellite Cells

Approximately 90% of beef cattle on feed in the United States receive at least one anabolic implant, which results in increased growth, efficiency, and economic return to producers. However, the complete molecular mechanism through which anabolic implants function to improve skeletal muscle growth remains unknown. This study had 2 objectives: (1) determine the effect of polyamines and their precursors on proliferation rate in bovine satellite cells (BSC); and (2) understand whether trenbolone acetate (TBA), a testosterone analog, has an impact on the polyamine biosynthetic pathway. To address these, BSC were isolated from 3 finished steers and cultured. Once cultures reached 75% confluency, they were treated in 1% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and/or 10 nM TBA, 10 mM methionine (Met), 8 mM ornithine (Orn), 2 mM putrescine (Put), 1.5 mM spermidine (Spd), or 0.5 mM spermine (Spe). Initially, a range of physiologically relevant concentrations of Met, Orn, Put, Spd, and Spe were tested to determine experimental doses to implement the aforementioned experiments. One, 12, or 24 h after treatment, mRNA was isolated from cultures and abundance of paired box transcription factor 7 (Pax7), Sprouty 1 (Spry), mitogen-activated protein kinase-1 (Mapk), ornithine decarboxylase (Odc), and S adenosylmethionine (Amd1) were determined, and normalized to 18S. No treatment × time interactions were observed (P ≥ 0.05). Treatment with TBA, Met, Orn, Put, Spd, or Spe increased (P ≤ 0.05) BSC proliferation when compared with control cultures. Treatment of cultures with Orn or Met increased (P ≤ 0.01) expression of Odc 1 h after treatment when compared with control cultures. Abundance of Amd1 was increased (P \u3c 0.01) 1 h after treatment in cultures treated with Spd or Spe when compared with 1% FBS controls. Cultures treated with TBA had increased (P \u3c 0.01) abundance of Spry mRNA 12 h after treatment, as well as increased mRNA abundance of Mapk (P \u3c 0.01) 12 h and 24 h after treatment when compared with 1% FBS control cultures. Treatment with Met increased (P \u3c 0.01) mRNA abundance of Pax7 1 h after treatment as compared with 1% FBS controls. These results indicate that treatments of BSC cultures with polyamines and their precursors increase BSC proliferation rate, as well as abundance of mRNA involved in cell proliferation. In addition, treatment of BSC cultures with TBA, polyamines, or polyamine precursors impacts expression of genes related to the polyamine biosynthetic pathway and proliferation

Modeling the time-dependent characteristics of perovskite solar cells

We proposed two different time-dependent modeling approaches for variation of device characteristics of perovskite solar cells under stress conditions. The first approach follows Sah-Noyce-Shockley (SNS) model based on Shockley–Read–Hall recombination/generation across the depletion width of pn junction and the second approach is based on thermionic emission model for Schottky diodes. The connecting point of these approaches to time variation is the time-dependent defect generation in depletion width (W) of the junction. We have fitted the two models with experimental data reported in the literature to perovskite solar cell and found out that each model has a superior explanation for degradation of device metrics e.g. current density and efficiency by time under stress conditions. Nevertheless, the Sah-Noyce-Shockley model is more reliable than thermionic emission at least for solar cells

Investigation of the peroxide value of oils used in bistros (West of Iran)

Abstract Frying food is one of the most admired methods to make instant cuisine among people because of its taste and color, as well as the crispy texture creation. Hydrogen peroxide which is the result of frying, causes various diseases, including cancer, atherosclerosis, cardiac and cerebral ischemia, aging and liver disorders. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the amount of peroxide in the oils used in bistros in western Iran. This descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in the restaurants in western Iran. In this study, 81 samples of consumable oils gathered according to the standard of 493 Iranian Institute of Standards and Industrial Research. After transferring the samples to the laboratory, there peroxide value was measured according to the standard number 4179 and data was entered in Excel and SPSS version 16 for further analyses. Out of 81 samples, 59% (48 samples) from consumable samples at the standard level and 41% (33 samples) of the non-consumable samples higher than the standard rate of the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran. While cooking, the consumable oil average peroxide value was 5.72, without a night and day breakdown (in general). In addition, the lowest and highest peroxide oxidation was 0 and 29 mEq/kg. According to Mann-Whitney test, there was no significant difference between the amounts of peroxide in consumable oils. Some evidence shows the non-compliance with hygiene issues that are related to oil consumption. This requires more supervision and continuous sampling and testing. © 2018, Advanced Scientific Research. All rights reserved

Clinical manifestation of patients who died due to COVID-19; A retrospective study from Qom-Iran

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a pandemic health problem worldwide. In this study, we attempted to explain the clinical and laboratories characteristics of non-surviving patients, to identify the probable factors affecting disease progression. Methods: In a retrospective study, we assessed the data from dead adult patients who were hospitalized and laboratory diagnosed with COVID-19 during March 2020. The data were obtained from electronic medical records. Moreover, a checklist including demographic, clinical, laboratorial, imaging, and treatment data was completed for each one of the patients. In case of lack of information, a member of the research team contacted the first-degree relatives via phone. Results: Totally, 50 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 68.0 ± 14.1 years. Of them, 29 (58) patients were male. Notably, the median (IQR) hospitalization time was 4.0 (2.7�6.2) days and the duration between the first symptoms to death was 10.0 (5.0�14.5) days. Also, pre-existing morbidity was reported in 42 (84) patients, and hypertension was the most common one with 28 (54) patients. Interestingly, body temperature more than 37.5°C was reported in only 20 (40) patients. Nevertheless, neutrophilia (�7109/L) and lymphopenia (<1.0 109/L) were observed in 27 (54) and 29 (58) patients, respectively. Also, elevated levels of creatinine, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were common, which may be indicators of aggravation of the patients� status. Conclusion: Besides age and underlying diseases, elevated creatinine level, neutrophil count, and the inflammatory indices along with the reduced lymphocyte count can be considered as indicators of disease progression. Hence, they should be considered for admission and surveillance of patients. © 2020 Academy of Medical Sciences of I.R. Iran. All rights reserved

Global, regional, and national sex-specific burden and control of the HIV epidemic, 1990–2019, for 204 countries and territories : the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019

Background: The sustainable development goals (SDGs) aim to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Understanding the current state of the HIV epidemic and its change over time is essential to this effort. This study assesses the current sex-specific HIV burden in 204 countries and territories and measures progress in the control of the epidemic. Methods: To estimate age-specific and sex-specific trends in 48 of 204 countries, we extended the Estimation and Projection Package Age-Sex Model to also implement the spectrum paediatric model. We used this model in cases where age and sex specific HIV-seroprevalence surveys and antenatal care-clinic sentinel surveillance data were available. For the remaining 156 of 204 locations, we developed a cohort-incidence bias adjustment to derive incidence as a function of cause-of-death data from vital registration systems. The incidence was input to a custom Spectrum model. To assess progress, we measured the percentage change in incident cases and deaths between 2010 and 2019 (threshold >75% decline), the ratio of incident cases to number of people living with HIV (incidence-to-prevalence ratio threshold <0·03), and the ratio of incident cases to deaths (incidence-to-mortality ratio threshold <1·0). Findings: In 2019, there were 36·8 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 35·1–38·9) people living with HIV worldwide. There were 0·84 males (95% UI 0·78–0·91) per female living with HIV in 2019, 0·99 male infections (0·91–1·10) for every female infection, and 1·02 male deaths (0·95–1·10) per female death. Global progress in incident cases and deaths between 2010 and 2019 was driven by sub-Saharan Africa (with a 28·52% decrease in incident cases, 95% UI 19·58–35·43, and a 39·66% decrease in deaths, 36·49–42·36). Elsewhere, the incidence remained stable or increased, whereas deaths generally decreased. In 2019, the global incidence-to-prevalence ratio was 0·05 (95% UI 0·05–0·06) and the global incidence-to-mortality ratio was 1·94 (1·76–2·12). No regions met suggested thresholds for progress. Interpretation: Sub-Saharan Africa had both the highest HIV burden and the greatest progress between 1990 and 2019. The number of incident cases and deaths in males and females approached parity in 2019, although there remained more females with HIV than males with HIV. Globally, the HIV epidemic is far from the UNAIDS benchmarks on progress metrics

Erratum: The genomic architecture of NLRP7 is Alu rich and predisposes to disease-associated large deletions

NLRP7 is a major gene responsible for recurrent hydatidiform moles. Here, we report 11 novel NLRP7 protein truncating variants, of which five deletions of more than 1-kb. We analyzed the transcriptional consequences of four variants. We demonstrate that one large homozygous deletion removes NLRP7 transcription start site and results in the complete absence of its transcripts in a patient in good health besides her reproductive problem. This observation strengthens existing data on the requirement of NLRP7 only for female reproduction. We show that two other variants affecting the splice acceptor of exon 6 lead to its in-frame skipping while another variant affecting the splice donor site of exon 9 leads to an in-frame insertion of 54 amino acids. Our characterization of the deletion breakpoints demonstrated that most of the breakpoints occurred within Alu repeats and the deletions were most likely mediated by microhomology events. Our data define a hotspot of Alu instability and deletions in intron 5 with six different breakpoints and rearrangements. Analysis of NLRP7 genomic sequences for repetitive elements demonstrated that Alu repeats represent 48% of its intronic sequences and these repeats seem to have been inserted into the common NLRP2/7 primate ancestor before its duplication into two genes

Predicting the environmental suitability for onchocerciasis in Africa as an aid to elimination planning

Recent evidence suggests that, in some foci, elimination of onchocerciasis from Africa may be feasible with mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin. To achieve continental elimination of transmission, mapping surveys will need to be conducted across all implementation units (IUs) for which endemicity status is currently unknown. Using boosted regression tree models with optimised hyperparameter selection, we estimated environmental suitability for onchocerciasis at the 5 × 5-km resolution across Africa. In order to classify IUs that include locations that are environmentally suitable, we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to identify an optimal threshold for suitability concordant with locations where onchocerciasis has been previously detected. This threshold value was then used to classify IUs (more suitable or less suitable) based on the location within the IU with the largest mean prediction. Mean estimates of environmental suitability suggest large areas across West and Central Africa, as well as focal areas of East Africa, are suitable for onchocerciasis transmission, consistent with the presence of current control and elimination of transmission efforts. The ROC analysis identified a mean environmental suitability index of 0.71 as a threshold to classify based on the location with the largest mean prediction within the IU. Of the IUs considered for mapping surveys, 50.2% exceed this threshold for suitability in at least one 5×5-km location. The formidable scale of data collection required to map onchocerciasis endemicity across the African continent presents an opportunity to use spatial data to identify areas likely to be suitable for onchocerciasis transmission. National onchocerciasis elimination programmes may wish to consider prioritising these IUs for mapping surveys as human resources, laboratory capacity, and programmatic schedules may constrain survey implementation, and possibly delaying MDA initiation in areas that would ultimately qualify